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VOA慢速英语--莫斯科周围的社区与城市的垃圾作斗争

时间:2020-03-16 15:14:24

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Communities Around Moscow Struggle with the City’s Waste

Moscow is clean and has well-run public services, equal to many capitals in Western countries; yet Russia's largest city also produces a lot of garbage.

Moscow is home to 12 million people, and its residents2 produce over 7 million tons of waste each year. Russian officials say that represents 20 percent of all waste produced in the world's biggest country. Industrial waste raises that number even higher, officials note.

There is another problem: only a small percentage of all this trash is recycled.

Where does the waste go?

Much of that garbage goes to places like Alexandrov, a historic3 town about 120 kilometers from the capital. It has one of the many landfills set up around Moscow.

But Alexandrov's residents are not happy about it. In recent years, they have seen garbage brought, without permission, from Moscow, and it is forming a mountain not far from the town.

Eighty-year-old Vladimir Saunin moved to the town a few years ago. "I come here, and my eyes water and my face gets puffy," he said.

Saunin said he had hoped to enjoy his retirement4 by taking walks in the forest and inside a fortress5 that briefly6 served as home to Czar Ivan the Terrible.

"Instead, my wife can't leave the house," he said. "It's a catastrophe7. Everyone who lives here thinks the same."

Now, any change in the wind brings a bad smell.

Some local residents spoke8 to VOA. They compared the smell to "radiation."

Alexander Kuyum grew up in the town and remembered that it once looked very beautiful, like a painting, he said.

"The worst thing is, they've shipped all this garbage, and now want to ship even more," he said.

Growing concerns over the landfill's risks to public health led to large protests9. Last December, about 5,000 people called for the landfill's closure.

Similar protests have taken place in other towns across Russia. Moscow still has not developed an effective way to deal with its waste or to create recycling programs.

Many Russians are angry at Moscow for forcing poorer communities to accept its waste. Now, they are saying they have had enough.

"I don't want to leave (the town)," said Julia Gribnova, a young mother who spoke to VOA. "I'm not saying Moscow should have to live in squalor. I'm just saying that I don't want them to ship it here."

However, local activists10 fighting the landfill say police consider them troublemakers11 only for wanting clean air.

The lesson of Sheston

The story of Alexander Shestun shows how officials in Moscow can control areas near it. Shestun is a former head of Sepukhov, an area south of Moscow. He joined with local residents to oppose the effort to expand another landfill near their homes.

At private meetings with top officials, he was told that the landfill decision had the support of Moscow's new governor12. But Shestun recorded their comments to him and put them online. He said he wanted to document a pressure campaign against him in an appeal to President Vladimir Putin.

But within weeks, armed agents stormed Shestun's home. He was taken to prison on bribery13 charges, which his family and supporters say are clearly false.

Shestun is expected to go on trial in March.

Russia's government is under growing pressure over waste.

Putin announced waste and recycling reforms this year. He admitted that there is strong dissatisfaction over the issue. But it is unclear how much will be done.

New government measures call for burning waste instead of recycling it. Environmentalists criticize14 the method because it causes pollution. In addition, Moscow and Saint15 Petersburg are not required to follow the new measures.

Moscow recently set out blue recycling containers at waste collection areas near apartment buildings around the city. Although a good sign, local people are not sure how they are to be used.

"I watch people recycling, but without sorting out anything," said Natalya, a Moscow resident1.

Sobirator is one of the few places were Moscovites can learn about recycling. It is a volunteer recycling center in one of Moscow's industrial areas.

Tatyana Vasilyeva works16 at Sobirator. "The problem we face is that there's no trust form the residents that one can really put the recyclables there, and they'll go where they're supposed to," she said.

Words in This Story

recycle – v. to reuse or make a product or substance available for reuse through natural processes

puffy – adj. heavy or full in size

fortress – n. a strong building or structure; a stronghold

catastrophe – n. a disaster, a very bad event

squalor – n. bad, dirty conditions

bribery – n. the act of giving money or something else in order to influence another person's judgment17

apartment – n. a room or rooms in a building where many people live


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 resident 8Wixl     
a.居住的,居留的;住校的,住院的
参考例句:
  • I've been resident in this place for five years. 我已经在这个地方住了五年。
  • They engaged a resident tutor. 他们聘用了一名住家的家庭教师。
2 residents 430773153341c662da6867d207e96ae2     
n.居民( resident的名词复数 );(旅馆的)住宿者
参考例句:
  • Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
  • Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。
3 historic AcNxw     
adj.历史上著名的,具有历史意义的
参考例句:
  • This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
  • We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。
4 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
5 fortress Mf2zz     
n.堡垒,防御工事
参考例句:
  • They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
  • The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。
6 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
7 catastrophe WXHzr     
n.大灾难,大祸
参考例句:
  • I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
  • This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。
8 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
9 protests 5b355aeb26f04b1eea895170dca5ca48     
n.[体]抗议;抗议,反对( protest的名词复数 )v.声明( protest的第三人称单数 );坚决地表示;申辩
参考例句:
  • The protests have forced the government to back-pedal on the new tax. 抗议活动已迫使政府撤销新的税目。
  • Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
10 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 troublemakers 2d09f1f3c2345e9bf267eb0820a3b2ec     
n.惹是生非者,捣乱者( troublemaker的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He was employed to chuck out any troublemakers. 他受雇把捣乱者赶走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers. 她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 governor 1f8xe     
n.统治者,地方长官(如省长,州长,总督等)
参考例句:
  • The governor was an expert at fencing with reporters.这位州长是搪塞新闻记者的能手。
  • He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
13 bribery Lxdz7Z     
n.贿络行为,行贿,受贿
参考例句:
  • FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
  • He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。
14 criticize wOyzL     
vt.批评;批判,指责;评论,评价
参考例句:
  • Whenever you criticize him,he always has an excuse.你批评他,他总有说头儿。
  • You are free to criticize my work.你可以随意批评我的工作。
15 saint yYcxf     
n.圣徒;基督教徒;vt.成为圣徒,把...视为圣徒
参考例句:
  • He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
  • The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。
16 works ieuzIh     
n.作品,著作;工厂,活动部件,机件
参考例句:
  • We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
  • The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。
17 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

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